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This Life I Live

Rory Feek and his late wife Joey were a country duo that took the world by storm. Singing, guitar playing, and love weren’t the only things that got attention for the couple. The fact that they lived such a basic life really caught the admiration of their fans. They lived on a farm, and grew their own food, which created a wonderful tv show that boasted many viewers. Then tragedy hit the couple, when Joey was diagnosed with cervical cancer shortly after having their daughter, Indiana. You may have heard of the news on Facebook, you may have even followed their story, and when Joey passed away, you may have even heard their songs on the radio. Now, Rory is telling the story of his life before and after Joey- and how all roads seemed to lead to her.

Rory grew up with siblings and his parents in a run down farm house, he also moved A LOT. His story is like many people’s, one in which he had to dig deep and work hard to get where he was going, but it was a triumphant story. Especially the part about his ex wife leaving him and his daughters in Hawaii to fend for themselves. Rory raised his daughters alone, and then he met Joey who instantly fell in love with him. Joey didn’t want children, but soon took Rory’s daughters under her wings. They became a little family of their own.

Then Rory and Joey’s music started to get airtime, and they became a household name in the country world. The duo was hot, and they were creating much attention for themselves, living the dream.

Not long after that Joey became very sick and passed away. But Rory kept holding on, trying to make things work for their daughter, and he continues to shine light where ever he goes because he knows that’s what Joey would want.

This book was simple, short and sweet. I enjoyed getting to know where Rory came from, but I have to admit I was more interested in the bits about he and Joey’s relationship. I followed them on their journey through their tv show, and I was well invested in Joey when she was diagnosed with cancer. I cried when she passed, and reading about what kind of person she was-head strong and very honest- made me respect her that much more. Rory is an incredible story teller (if you couldn’t already tell through his music) in this book he describes the good and the bad, the mistakes he made and the love he shared. I really liked that the chapters were kept short and to the point, yet the stories were rich. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars only because I would have loved more stories about Joey.